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MENU:CHILD AND YOUTH SEXUAL ABUSE BY CLERGY: |
 | Recovered memories: Many mental health professionals during the 1980s and early 1990s used recovered memory therapies (RMT) to search for abuse events in their patient/client's past. Unfortunately, they used long-term suggestive and experimental therapies, such as hypnotism, guided imagery, visualizations, dream therapy, age regression, past life regression, and other techniques. These often generated many false memories -- images of abuse created over months of therapy. They coalesced into what felt like real memories, but which were unrelated to real events. RMT therapists believed that memories of abuse during childhood had been repressed at the time by the victim, and only recovered later during adulthood. In almost every case, it is impossible to find evidence that the events actually happened. Many tens of thousands -- perhaps hundreds of thousands -- of victims of this dangerous therapy were generated. A similar number of families of origin were negatively impacted. Some innocent parents went to jail, having been convicted of crimes that never happened. RMT became generally discredited as a therapeutic technique in the late 1990s, and few mental health professionals continue to use it today. However, recovered memories appear to have come back into vogue with the Boston clergy abuse cases. It has also resurfaced in a modified form, known as Theophostic Counseling |
| Dormant memories appear to be a different phenomenon. Some sort of trigger results in a flood of memories surfacing very suddenly. The trigger may be the reading of a newspaper article, seeing a photograph, visiting a place from one's childhood, etc, The person is often overwhelmed by the memories -- apparently of an event that they had forgotten about. No memory repression is involved; just simple forgetting. |
It is our belief that recovered memories are almost never related to real events, and that dormant memories are as accurate as memories that have been continuously remembered since the event. However, most investigators and reporters do not differentiate between the two.
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Topics covered in this section are:
| A brief overview of recovered memories
of clergy abuse | ||||
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Related menus on this web site:
| Recovered memory therapy |
| Psychological hoaxes |
References:
- Denise Lavoie, "Case against priest rests on recovered memories, a controversial type of evidence," Associated Press, 2002-MAY-8
- Tom Mashberg, "Reilly to quiz church brass: AG 'disgusted' by Shanley Case," Boston Herald, 2002-APR-10, at: http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/
- Bruce Nolan, "Suit charging priest with sex abuse OK'd ; Man says he repressed memories for years," The Times-Picayune, 2002-MAY-11, Page 1.
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Renee Fredrickson, "Repressed Memories: A journey to recovery from sexual abuse", (1992), Page 203. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store.
- "Alleged church abuse victims seek single trial for civil lawsuits," Associated Press, 2002-MAY-8.
- Tom Mooney, "Why a court accept ‘recovered-memory: While its legal validity is debate in one sexual-abuse case, a judge rules that it is reliable and admissible in a trial involving a Catholic priest," Providence Journal-Bulletin, 1998-APR-13, Page A1. Cited in "The Recovered Memory Project" at: http://www.brown.edu/Departments/
- Harrison G. Pope, Jr. & James I. Hudson, "Can memories of childhood sexual abuse be repressed?," 25 Psychol. Med. 121 (1995).
- Katy Butler, "The Latest on Recovered Memory," Family Therapy Networker, 1996-NOV/DEC, Page 36. Cited in "The Recovered Memory Project" at: http://www.brown.edu/Departments/
- Manuel Moreno, "Restoring Trust: A special report to the Laity, Religious and Clergy of the diocese of Tucson," at: http://www.diocesetucson.org/mdmrpt.html
- News item, KOIN-TV, Portland OR, 2002-APR-15.
- "Questions and Answers Regarding the Settlement and Related Issues,"
at:
http://www.diocesetucson.org/QandA.html - Sacha Pfeiffer, "Crisis in the church; Shanley set for Mass. return...." Boston Globe, 2002-MAY-4, Page A1.
- "Priest accused of molesting alter boys in mid-1980s," Associated Press, 2002-MAY-18.
- "Episcopal Diocese dealing with allegations of sexual abuse," Associated Press, 2002-MAY-23.
- "Attorneys say more sex-abuse cases against priests are likely," Albany, NY, Associated Press, 2002-MAY-26.
- Robert Sears, "Priests' accusers tell of tormented lives; Quincy man breaks silence," The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA, 2002-JUN-7, Page 1.
- Maureen O'Donnell, "Priest 'very thrilled' to be back," Chicago Sun-Times, 2002-JUN-10, Page 6.
- Dawn Marks, "Priest seeks damages in suit against accuser," The Oklahoman, 2002-JUL-06.
- Lynn Miller, "Church has participated in the ultimate betrayal," Letters column, State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL), 2002-JUL-18.
- Isabel Teotonio, "Abuse victims relive pain," Toronto Star, 2002-JUL-27, Page A25.
- Kelly Milner, "Hart cleared of sex abuse," Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, 2002-JUL-30, Front page.
- "Lawyer: Statute of limitations blocks sex abuse lawsuit," Associated Press, 2002-AUG-9.
- "Man claims sexual abuse by priest 30 years ago," Associated Press, 2002-AUG-23
- Kate N. Grossman, "Ex-priest: 'I got away with murder,' " Chicago Sun-Times, 2002-OCT-4, Page 8.
- "No damages for alleged abuse victim; more suits filed in Geoghan case," Associated Press, 2002-OCT-3.
- "Former nun files lawsuit alleging abuse by nuns," Associated Press, 2002-OCT-11.
- Article, The Washington Post, 2002-OCT-12, Page A32.
- Robert Goodrich, "Man alleging sex abuse sues retired priest, Belleville diocese," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2002-OCT-26, Page 14.
- "Suit claims priest raped Cuban boy at refugee camp repeatedly," St. Petersburg Times, 2002-NOV-9, Page 5B.
- "Lawsuit against priest cleared for trial," Associated Press, 2002-NOV-13.
- Colette M. Jenkins and Carl Chancellor, "Retired priest, diocese employees indicted on sex abuse charges," Akron Beacon Journal, 2002-DEC-5.
- Laurie Goodstein, "California Dioceses Brace for New Abuse Suits as Law Allows Litigation of Old Cases," The NewYork times, 2002-DEC-6, Page A28; Column 1.
- David Sommer, "Lawsuit claims church liable for misconduct," The Tampa Tribune, 2002-DEC-4, Page 3.
- Beth DeFalco, "Arizona priest arrested on child molestation charges," Associated Press, 2002-DEC-6.
- Article: The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA, 2002-DEC-20, Page 17
- "The 25 most intriguing people of 2002: David Clohessy, advocate for the abused," People magazine, 2002-DEC-30, Page 110.
- "Louisiana Supreme Court opens door for repressed memory cases," False Memory Syndrome Foundation, Newsletter, 2003-JAN/FEB, Page 7.
- Mark Thiessen, "Boys Town, Nebraska church school accused in sexual abuse lawsuits," Associated Press, 2003-JAN-31.
- "Man alleging abuse, former priest settle suit," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2003-FEB-21, Page B2.
- Tim Reynolds, "Man sues Archdiocese of Miami, claiming abuse by now-dead priest," Associated Press, 2003-MAR-13.
- Margery Beck, "Colorado man accuses Lincoln priest of sex abuse," Associated Press, 2003-MAR-14.
- Stephen Buttry, " Second suit alleges Boys Town abuse An unidentified man says he was molested by the Rev. James Kelly and Michael Wolf," Omaha World Herald (Nebraska), 2003-MAR-25, Page 4b.
- Tim Talley, "Lawyer sues former priest over sexual abuse," Associated Press 2003-MAR-31.
- Bill Douthat, "Judge recuses from priest sex case," 2003-APR-4, Plam Beach Post, Page 3B.
- Paul Pinkham "Man sues church, alleges abuse; Harvest Baptist's Camp Tracey cited," Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL, 2003-MAY-10, Page B-1.
- Carly Miller, "Man Claims He Was Sexually Assaulted By San
Antonio Priest," WOAI.com news, 2003-MAY-24, at:
http://www.woai.com/news/local/
Copyright © 2002 & 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2002-JUL-30
Latest update: 2005-MAR-09
Author: B.A. Robinson
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